On the occasion of the great Serbian religious and national holiday Vidovdan, HRH Crown Prince Alexander extended his congratulations to His Holiness Patriarch Porfirije of Serbia, the Serbian Orthodox Church, and the citizens of Serbia.
“Our national history is very rich, with so many important dates and significant events. Among this pageantry of significant memories of our past, Vidovdan is without any doubt, one of the days that stands out so much by its significance and symbolic strength for our national being and identity.
On this day, our church and people of faith celebrate Holy Martyr Prince Lazar and Holy Serbian Martyrs, the heroes of our people who defended our homeland in the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. They had fallen on the battlefield with high ideals and virtues of great morality, honesty, and honour carved deeply into their minds and hearts. The choice that Prince Lazar made by selecting the Kingdom of Heaven instead of the Earthly Kingdom is what defined us as a nation in all the centuries afterward. This choice made by the Holy Prince was only the confirmation of the path that was already being taken by all our knights and rulers before Lazar – by Nemanja and Stefan, and by all the others, who were leading our people in our glory days.
This choice is something that obliges us even today. The Kosovo Covenant and the codex of chivalry that Prince Lazar and his martyrs have left to us are a guideline for the people of Serbia in present days, and it was what kept us and led us through centuries and many temptations and challenges. Throughout all these challenges, our ancestors remained faithful to high ideals of morality and purity. That is why I wish this holy day to be spent in peace, unity, and good faith. The Serbian people today must be more united than ever. We must deeply care for and love our families, our Serbia, and our people, and always mention in our prayers all the fallen heroes who gave their lives for Serbia and our ideals throughout history. Long live Serbia!”, stated HRH Crown Prince Alexander.